It seems as though hell may have frozen over - MP Nathan Cullen and MLA Jennifer Rice are not only in agreement with Stephen Harper and the Conservatives, but are “happy to hear” of a decision they made.
Cullen and Rice, in a letter to Tourism Prince Rupert, applauded the government’s decision to impose the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act that prevented the Alaskan Government from enforcing Buy American provisions on the Alaska Ferry Dock.
Weird as that may be, the rationale for applauding the move makes no sense whatsoever and it’s astounding two elected officials are trying to pass this off as a good thing for the region.
In the letter, it is pointed out that Nathan “has been pressuring the federal government in the House of Commons for action to protect Canadian jobs in Prince Rupert since this matter first arose”.
Let that sink in for a second — the way Nathan Cullen is going to protect Canadian jobs in Prince Rupert is by pressuring the government to prohibit the Alaska State Government from only using American steel in a $15-million infrastructure project.
If you can explain how the type of steel used in a project is in any way, shape or form related to Canadian jobs, that would be impressive. If you think putting so much pressure on a foreign government that they cancel a multi-million project that would have created work for contractors and service suppliers in Prince Rupert is “protecting Canadian jobs”, I have a bridge to sell you.
The reality is nothing Cullen did on this file did a single thing to protect a single job here in Prince Rupert. If anything, the petty posturing by the government, which our MP apparently throws his full support behind, only served to sour our relationship with our neighbours to the north and create unnecessary uncertainty as it relates to the terminal.
Clearly, Prince Rupert jobs were not top-of-mind for our MP or MLA.